Shine Again (by Wild Again-Shiner, by Two Punch), the fourth generation of her family foaled and raised at duPont's Woodstock Farm in Chesapeake City, was named horse of the year, champion older female, and champion sprinter.

Voting for the flat racing champions was conducted by a panel of eight racing writers; the steeplechase champion was chosen by writer Joe Clancy.

Shine Again highlights the remarkable accomplishments of duPont, 90, who has produced top-quality race horses in Maryland for more than a half-century. Two of duPont's earlier homebreds have also earned the Maryland-bred horse of the year title: Politely (1967 and '68) and Best of Luck (1999).

Shine Again, a Grade 1 winner at 4 and 5, passed the million-dollar mark in earnings last year, in her first start as a 6-year-old. She went on to win the Grade 2 Genuine Risk Handicap at Belmont, then added five consecutive second-place finishes, all in top stakes company in New York, at distances between six and seven furlongs.

It was the third consecutive season that Shine Again, trained throughout her career by Allen Jerkens, has been named Maryland's champion older female and second straight season she was named champion sprinter.

One of four Maryland-bred mares to have earned over $1 million, Shine Again retired last fall as the ninth leading Maryland-bred money-earner of all time, with $1,271,840. She has been bred to Deputy Minister.

The 2003 Maryland-bred champions left a lasting impact on the state's sire ranks, as three of them represented their sire's first crop.

Perfect Moon, sold by his breeders for a bargain $4,700 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling sale, sent his sire, Malibu Moon, on a new career path in Kentucky with his two juvenile graded stakes wins in California. Malibu Moon entered stud at Country Life Farm in Bel Air, Md., and is now standing at Castleton Lyons Farm near Lexington, Ky.

Three-year-old champions New York Hero and Finally Here are breakout performers for Maryland sires Partner's Hero and Yarrow Brae, respectively.

Yarrow Brae (by Deputy Minister) holds court at Murmur Farm in Darlington, the establishment made famous as the one-time home of Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner War Emblem's sire Our Emblem.

New York Hero, winner of the Grade 2 Lane's End Stakes, ranked as Maryland's top earner in 2003, with $465,860. Completing the top five were Perfect Moon ($353,870), Shine Again ($275,620), Dr. Brendler ($259,935), and Foufa's Warrior ($257,358).